In August of 1997 my left hand started acting up: I had great difficulty separating the socks I took out of the washer. Lots of strange things were happening, actually. I would fall playing football, suddenly go rigid or develop a lisp whenever I had something to drink. These symptoms manifested as early as March 1997, but I didn’t pay any attention to them due to stress at work. After being advised to do so, I visited a doctor, who referred me to a neurologist. Test results came up blank, but based on the symptoms the diagnosis was “probably MS”. Even back then, I was afraid it would be ALS. In April 1998 my condition worsened, so I was examined again. After an EMG in May a new diagnosis was made: ALS.
Jeanet van der Vlist’s Diary